"Dang ~ Dang ~" The melodious sound of a bell rang out from the Manjushri Temple.
"Bang! Bang! "The sharp sound of a gunshot rang out from the rear courtyard of the imperial envoy's temporary residence.
Ever since he was captured at Zhao Jue Temple, the flintlock had played a big role. Yang Ling suddenly felt that if he wanted to defend himself, he still needed to rely on this weapon. He had already missed the best period to practice martial arts, and it was impossible for him to practice martial arts every day. Although he practiced the superior internal martial arts that many martial arts practitioners dreamed of, if he used it to strengthen his body, he would be able to deal with the little children at home. Against a true expert who could break through his group of imperial bodyguards, he would always fall short by a large margin. It was better to honestly take the shortcut. Therefore, every day, besides practicing internal martial arts at night and external martial arts in the morning, he still had to practice his spear techniques.
"Move it twenty steps further!" Yang Ling skillfully wiped the muzzle of his gun, swiftly loaded gunpowder, and loaded bullets as he shouted into the distance.
The imperial bodyguards moved the long bench further away and placed small wine jars on it. Yang Ling pulled the safety with his thumb, raised his arm, and aimed at another jar. Big Stick hurriedly walked over. Seeing that Yang Ling was aiming, he hurriedly stood to the side.
"Bang!" The sound of a gunshot rang out. Porcelain fragments flew everywhere, and the small jar was shot to pieces.
"Good! Good marksmanship! Marshal, Royal Prince Jingqing wants to see you. He's waiting in the study! " Big Stick was a straightforward person. Although he had seen others flatter him a lot, he knew that this was a good time to praise him. However, it was obviously a little perfunctory, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Oh? Royal Prince Jingqing? " Yang Ling was startled. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Serve tea to the guest. Serve him well. I'll be there soon."
Yang Ling secretly muttered, "Why did Royal Prince Jingqing want to see me? Could it be … last night, I followed the Imperial Bodyguard to see His Second Highness and was discovered by him? Is he trying to show off his power to me? That's impossible. No one in the prison knows me. The Imperial Bodyguard and the Second Prince won't tell anyone. Let's go see him first. "
Last night, Yang Ling went to see Zhu Rangjin for two reasons. First, it was to fulfill his friendship with him. Second, since he wanted to save him, he had to see the person involved and understand the situation in more detail. But although Zhu Rangjin kept saying that he was innocent, the information he could provide was limited. What he learned from him was not enough to exonerate him.
Since it was a murder for personal reasons, investigating the crime scene and asking the family members of the victim about her daily activities and the people she interacted with might be useful. Unfortunately, with his status, it was not convenient for him to participate in public. He had no choice but to instruct Liu Biao to investigate both Zhu Rangjin and Zhu Mengli openly and secretly, hoping to find evidence that would be beneficial to him. His only role as an imperial envoy was to ensure that there was no strong evidence and to prevent others from arbitrarily judging the case.
A royal prince was still a prince and had a lofty status. Aside from announcing imperial edicts and introducing himself, according to the rules, he could not directly speak to the commoners. He had to pass on a message through the servants beside him, even if the two were standing face to face. This was the rule of the imperial family. Not only was Yang Ling an official, but he was also a high-ranking official, so he was naturally not subject to this rule. However, he could not wear his martial arts uniform to see the royal prince. He hurriedly returned to his room to change into his official robes before rushing to the study to see the prince.
Royal Prince Jingqing was tall and fat. He had a square face and big ears, thick eyebrows and heavy eyes. He had the typical appearance of a member of the Zhu family. He sat on a chair, his teacup motionless. His eyes were lost in thought when Yang Ling hurriedly walked in.
This was not an official visit, so Yang Ling could not put on the airs of an imperial envoy. He hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "This lowly official Yang Ling greets Your Imperial Highness, Royal Prince Jingqing!"
"Oh?" Royal Prince Jingqing regained his composure and unexpectedly stood up to greet him. With a face full of smiles, he said, "Ah! Sir Yang, please rise quickly. This prince has taken the liberty of visiting early in the morning. I apologize for disturbing you. "
"Not at all. Your Highness's visit brings light to my house. This lowly official woke up this morning and heard the cries of magpies. I was thinking … cough cough, I didn't know that Your Highness had come. This … is there something important? "
Yang Ling only finished half of his flattery when he felt a bit disgusted. He hurriedly changed the topic and went straight to the main topic.
The two sat down. Royal Prince Jingqing rested his hands on his knees and said in a low voice, "Sir Yang, yesterday at the King of Shu's banquet, my daughter was murdered by an evil person. This official is heartbroken … This prince has no son and only has two daughters. My eldest daughter married long ago and I only have this one child. Now that I'm sending off my child, this pain … This prince really doesn't want to go out and see anyone for the next two days."
Yang Ling also sighed and said, "Your Highness, please restrain your grief. Because Second Young Miss was murdered by an evil person, and considering that Your Highness is currently grieving, this lowly official did not dare to visit to express his condolences. The royal prince's daughter was publicly murdered in the prince's estate. This is a serious matter. This lowly official believes that the local authorities will enforce the law impartially. They will find the murderer and punish him severely so that Second Young Miss can rest in peace in the underworld!"
"Ha! Enforce the law impartially? "Royal Prince Jingqing let out a strange laugh and said bitterly," A higher official can crush people to death. If it was an ordinary murderer, he would have been beheaded by now. But the suspect is the son of the King of Shu. Perhaps this suspect will continue to be suspicious. "
An imperial prince and a royal prince, both of them were higher officials than him. The old Zhu family had a lot of messy affairs. There were princes who had eaten people and princes who had committed incestuous acts. Who would dare to say anything? Yang Ling didn't want to interrupt and could only listen in silence.
After Royal Prince Jingqing finished speaking, he glanced at Yang Ling and said with difficulty, "Sir Yang is a first-rank official in the imperial court. Your reputation as the Mighty Marquis has spread far and wide. A few days ago, in order to unify the government and quell the rebellion of the barbarians, the grand King of Shu was also placed under house arrest by you. This prince truly admires your courage to not fear power."
Yang Ling's eyebrows jumped. He instinctively felt touched. For Royal Prince Jingqing to flatter him so much, it definitely wasn't a good thing. To be courteous to someone, there must be a request. How could a royal prince's request be a small matter?
Sure enough, he heard Royal Prince Jingqing say, "Sir Yang is His Majesty's right-hand man. This prince won't hide it from you. My daughter … after an autopsy, she's … she's … pregnant …"
"What?" Yang Ling had already found out about the matter from Zhu Rangjin yesterday, but he still had to pretend to turn pale with fright. He said in surprise, "This … there's such a thing?"
Royal Prince Jingqing's old face blushed and he said with embarrassment, "My family is unfortunate! Something like this actually happened. This prince … was also curious. Zhu Rangjin and this prince's family is related by blood. They're both cousins. He and Mengli have always been close, so what kind of hatred could there be between them? Unexpectedly … "
He slapped his thigh heavily and said, "Unethical collusion, Ming Destiny, even the royal family is shamed!"
Initially, he was determined to have Zhu Rangjin sentenced to death in place of his beloved daughter. However, when he went to the King of Shu to denounce her, he heard such a scandal. His own daughter was also a failure to live up to his expectations and committed such a shameful act. His anger was immediately extinguished. For the sake of his family's reputation, he discussed with the King of Shu before deciding on the idea of Zhu Rangjin committing suicide and quietly covering up the matter.
Unexpectedly, the daughter of Tuoba Yu, the chieftain of Jinchuan County, visited him in the middle of the night and bluntly told him that she already knew about Zhu Mengli's pregnancy. However, she didn't believe that it was Zhu Rangjin who did it. She told him not to have any crooked ideas and that she would keep an eye on this case until the truth was revealed to the world. If he and the King of Shu dared to sacrifice Zhu Rangjin to cover up their shame, she would publicize this matter and let everyone in the world know.
This time, Royal Prince Jingqing was dumbfounded. Even though he was a prince, he really couldn't afford to offend Tuoba Yanran. There were fifteen chieftains in the land of Shu. The boundaries between each chieftain had never been clear. There were often fights and killings between the chieftains because of the boundaries and inheriting the chieftain positions.
Jinchuan County was close to Chengdu and far away was Wei Zang. It was a strategic area that connected the mainland to Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu, and other places. In addition, most of the people in that area were Tibetans who communicated with the Tibetans from outside the region. Therefore, among the fifteen chieftains, Jinchuan County was the most powerful. It could be said that if Tuoba Yu stomped his feet, the King of Shu would be nervous for a long time. He was a Royal Prince with a salary but no power. His own territory was right under Tuoba Yu's nose. To a large extent, he still had to rely on this local emperor. How could he dare to use his power to seal Tuoba Yu's mouth?
With this, Royal Prince Jingqing couldn't sleep anymore. He hurriedly went to the palace to see the King of Shu to discuss this matter with him. Naturally, the fewer people who knew about this royal scandal, the better. Moreover, the lower the status, the more unsuitable it was for them to know. The officials in the land of Shu were all under the rule of the King of Shu. If he let this group of subordinates handle the matters of the royal family, more and more officials would know about it. At that time, where would these princes put their faces?
Moreover, Royal Prince Jingqing still had a selfish motive. He could no longer be so confident and confident. If the officials bent the law for the sake of the King of Shu and found some excuse to exonerate Zhu Rangjin, then wouldn't his daughter's death be in vain? The selection of the investigating official became a big problem.
The two of them each had their own plans. After studying it for a while, they couldn't help but think of Yang Ling. Yang Ling's status was high, so he didn't have to worry about the King of Shu's reputation. Moreover, he was an official in the capital. After the matter was over, he could just leave and there wouldn't be any awkwardness of meeting him often. Moreover, he was a favored person in front of the Emperor, so he would definitely know his limits. The internal affairs of the officials were very tight-lipped. They knew a lot about the private affairs of the princes and ministers, so they would never casually leak it.
As a result, the two of them hit it off and decided to ask Imperial Envoy Yang to investigate this case. In their hearts, the two of them had already determined that Zhu Rangjin was the murderer. The so-called investigation was just going through the motions and obtaining a confession. They just needed to settle this matter as soon as possible.
Royal Prince Jingqing came to see Yang Ling early in the morning with the intention of asking for help. If the case fell into the hands of the internal affairs, they would be able to do anything they wanted. They couldn't let Yang Ling take the opportunity to give the King of Shu some face and purposely exonerate Zhu Rangjin.
Royal Prince Jingqing explained the request of the two princes to request Yang Ling to investigate this case. Then, he flattered, praised, and secretly promised benefits. At the end, he said in a threatening tone, "Sir Yang, this case happened in public. Everyone knows that this prince's daughter was killed. It's impossible to let this matter go peacefully. This is a major case involving the Great Ming Dynasty's Imperial Family. This Prince has thought about it for a long time, and only Official Yang can come forward. Only then can this case be resolved impartially, and the news won't spread to the common people. I'll have to trouble Official Yang with this matter. "
He gave a heavy snort and said with a double meaning, "Although this prince is not as good as the King of Shu, I am still a prince with a name in the genealogy of the royal family of Ming Destiny. Sir Yang doesn't need to worry about this matter. Feel free to do it. If someone wants to abuse their power for personal gain and interfere with daren's investigation, this prince will go to the capital and lodge a complaint. Even if he is the grand King of Shu, I will make him suffer the consequences!"
Yang Ling glanced at him and thought to himself, "You speak as if it's true. Aren't you just telling me what you want to hear? If I dare to side with the King of Shu, you will have to go to the capital and lodge a complaint against me to the head of your Zhu family. However … this is a good opportunity. I can legitimately intervene in this case and get to the bottom of it. I can help clear Zhu Rangjin's name. I must not miss this opportunity. "
When Yang Ling thought of this, he stood up and said to Royal Prince Jingqing solemnly, "Your Highness, rest assured. Since the two princes have entrusted this task to me, how can this lowly official refuse? Moreover, this matter involves the dignity of the royal family. This lowly official is in charge of the internal affairs, so it is not improper for this lowly official to intervene. This lowly official will definitely investigate this case clearly and present the evidence to the two princes! "
Royal Prince Jingqing nodded and said sternly, "If this case is not solved, this prince will not leave Chengdu even half a step! This prince's daughter has disgraced the family's reputation. Even if she deserves to die, this prince will be the one to enforce the family's laws. She died in such an unclear manner, this prince cannot swallow this anger! I will leave this matter to Sir Yang. I will take my leave now! "
* * *
"Your Highness, please take care!" Yang Ling saw him off at the main entrance and bowed in salute. Royal Prince Jingqing's eight-person sedan chair swaggered off.
Ever since the imperial envoy moved in, half of the street had been marked as a restricted area. However, because there were many people who went to the temple to offer incense, the entrance of the prince's residence was not closed off. Thus, Yang Ling could not go overboard. Thus, even after Wu Hanchao arranged for heavy guards, the other half of the street was still open to people.
At this moment, there was a small sedan chair leisurely moving across the street. There were four servants following behind the sedan chair. They seemed to be the daughters of a large family who had just returned from offering incense. Right after Royal Prince Jingqing's sedan chair left, the small sedan chair turned around and headed straight for the main entrance.
Immediately, eight imperial guards went up to meet it. Their steel sabers were half-unsheathed as they shouted, "This is the imperial envoy's temporary residence, retreat!"
Wu Hanchao, Liu Bangchao, and the others quickly surrounded Yang Ling. Liu Bangchao was tall and built like a giant bear. He stood in front of Yang Ling, blocking him completely. Yang Ling tilted his head, wanting to see what was happening outside, but he couldn't see it.
The sedan chair stopped. A servant in front of it flashed his sleeves and raised a plaque. In a clear voice, he said, "Her Highness the Princess wishes to see Sir Yang. Would Sir Yang please come forward to answer?"
The imperial guard examined the plaque and confirmed that it was indeed a keepsake from the Prince of Shu's residence. He couldn't help but turn his head and say, "Daren …"
Yang Ling also heard their conversation. He pushed Liu Bangchao to the side and looked forward. He saw that the curtain of the small sedan chair had suddenly been lifted and an angry little face peeked out. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, as if she was about to open her mouth to curse. However, when she saw him, she suddenly retracted her eyes. With a swoosh, the curtain of the sedan chair was also pulled down.
With this entrance and exit, Yang Ling clearly saw her appearance. It was indeed the Young Princess, Zhu Xiang 'er. He hurriedly said, "Quickly invite the Princess into the courtyard. Hurry, hurry, hurry."
The sedan chair entered the courtyard. Yang Ling bowed again. "This lowly official, Yang Ling, greets Your Highness the Princess."
The Young Princess jumped out of the sedan chair. With a straight face, she asked, "Where is your study?"
"Princess, please follow me." Yang Ling made an inviting gesture. His eyes couldn't help but glance at the Young Princess's boots.
Zhu Xiang 'er blushed. She reached out and tugged at her skirt to cover her exposed feet. Then, she glared at him fiercely.
Yang Ling hurriedly turned around and led the way. Along the way, Zhu Xiang 'er didn't say a word. When the two of them entered the study, Yang Ling shouted, "Guards, go …"
"There's no need! I'll leave after I'm done talking! " Zhu Xiang 'er cut him off. She saw that there was still a teacup on the table, so she sat down on the chair on the other side.
Yang Ling walked to the opposite side of her and sat down gently. He said, "Two days ago, there was a criminal who committed a crime. How could the Princess dare to go out on the streets with such a small group of people? It's too dangerous."
Zhu Xiang 'er glared at him and said, "Isn't it because of you, the big sweeper? I've been sneaking out on the streets with a little maidservant and nothing has happened. Hmph! "
Yang Ling laughed dryly and said, "In that case, Your Highness should avoid me. May I know why you're here today?"
Zhu Xiang 'er frowned and said in distress, "I really want to avoid you. I heard …" She suddenly tugged at her skirt and covered her feet again. Yang Ling couldn't help but look away in embarrassment.
He didn't have the intention to look at the girl's feet. It's just that how many people have encountered a couple biting each other's boots? Moreover, the other party was a pretty little girl. As he sat down, his eyes unconsciously drifted to Zhu Xiang 'er's feet.
Zhu Xiang 'er blushed and covered her feet. Her thin and tender lips pursed as if she was angry. But even though she was young, she knew that a girl's feet should not be touched by others. Moreover, it was done in such an embarrassing manner. Just thinking about it made her ears burn. Naturally, she didn't want to mention it again.
Today, she was dressed in a light yellow silk gown with narrow sleeves and a buttoned front. She wore a light yellow silk skirt and a pair of pink embroidered boots. The light yellow color complemented her delicate face. Her thin lips were as clear as freshly peeled lychee, with only a light red tint to them. Her entire body was delicate and clean. She smelled so good that anyone who saw her would want to swallow her whole.
Yang Ling didn't dare to look at her feet again, nor did he dare to meet her eyes. His eyes only watched her open and close lips, occasionally revealing her pearly white teeth. This made Zhu Xiang 'er even more embarrassed. But the matter she wanted to talk about today was too important to her and she didn't want to complicate the issue. She could only acquiesce to Yang Ling's' impudence and rudeness'.
"I heard from my father that Second Brother's case will be entrusted to Sir Yang to investigate?"
"Yes, this lowly official has also just heard that Your Highness and the Office of Imperial Investigations have yet to send any news. Once there's confirmation, this lowly official will go to the Office of Imperial Investigations to receive the criminal and the case files and intervene in the investigation."
"Hmph! Why did Royal Prince Jingqing come just now? "
"This … this lowly official doesn't seem to have a need to explain this to Your Highness, Princess."
"You!" Zhu Xiang 'er's anger surged. Just as she was about to explode, she suddenly remembered that she had come with a request. She suppressed her anger and pursed her lips. "Even if you don't tell me, I know."
"Oh?" Yang Ling raised his eyebrows and asked, "What does Your Highness know?"
"I know why Royal Prince Jingqing is here."
"Then why is Your Highness here?"
"Of course it's because of my Second Brother," Zhu Xiang 'er said confidently. "My Second Brother would never kill anyone. He and Sister Mengli have always been good friends. There's no enmity between them, so why would he kill someone? There's no reason at all. Is it because Sister Mengli has a piece of Second Brother's jade pendant in her hand? My Second Brother has many jade pendants, at least twenty to thirty of them. Wouldn't it be easy for someone to steal one? "
Yang Ling spread his hands and said, "That's it? This lowly official can use this reason to release His Highness? "
"It can't!"
Zhu Xiang 'er retorted. "Then can you use this reason to convict my Second Brother?"
"It can't!"
Zhu Xiang 'er smiled proudly. Yang Ling continued, "But if we can't find another suspect, then this one and only piece of evidence will become irrefutable. When that happens, no one will be able to save His Highness."
"Then … then what should we do?" The Little Princess asked pitifully.
Yang Ling slowly said, "Either we find a second culprit, or we find evidence to prove that His Highness is not the culprit."
As Yang Ling answered perfunctorily, he pondered, "It seems that the King of Shu has indeed blocked the news of Zhu Mengli's pregnancy. Even the Little Princess is unaware of it. Zhu Mengli is a weak girl, so it's impossible for her to be involved in any other matter. This case is most likely a case of adultery and murder. It's impossible for a man and a woman to have no contact with each other. If we start with this, we can find some clues. Once the King of Shu's news arrives, I have to rush over immediately to investigate the residence and servants of the deceased and the suspect. If Zhu Rangjin is not the culprit, then Zhu Rangxu and Tang Jiashan are also major suspects. But speaking of these three, in terms of reputation, the Second Prince, who has a reputation for being dissolute, is the most suspicious …
Zhu Xiang 'er did not believe that her Second Brother would kill someone. When she heard that her father had handed the case over to Yang Ling, she could not wait to rush over. In fact, she was just acting childish and came to assure him that her Second Brother would not do such a thing. Even if she had to say it, she could not produce any evidence.
She saw that Yang Ling had spaced out as he spoke, ignoring her. She could no longer hold back the anger she had been suppressing. She slammed the table and said, "What are you thinking about? Let me tell you, I am here today to tell you that my Second Brother is very innocent. If you try a muddled case and harm my Second Brother, then don't think that the Prince's Mansion will support you. The King of Shu will not let you off. Even if you return to the capital, I … "
She raised her eyebrows and said, "No, even I will follow you to the capital and haunt you like a ghost. I will make sure that you won't be able to rest in peace when you clean!"
The Little Princess, who had wanted to pretend to be a virtuous lady, finally showed her female power. She threatened and threatened Yang Ling for a long time. Seeing that Yang Ling only listened and did not refute, she thought that she had scared him and left in satisfaction.
Yang Ling sent off the little devil. He thought it was funny when he thought about it and could not help but hum the lines of "Xu Jiujing's Promotion" that he had changed. "I thought that after becoming an imperial envoy, I would be an official in charge of officials. Who knew that there are officials above me? The Prince of Shu and the Prince of Shu are accusing me, but I, a small official, have to interrogate the big official. They were originally the officials in charge of officials … The Prince of Shu scared me and the Princess suppressed me. I became an official caught in the cracks of a rock …"
Big Cudgel curled his lips from afar and said to a guard beside him, "Isn't she just a little girl with a bad temper? No matter how handsome she is, she can't compare to the three Madams, Official Cheng and Miss Adeni. Look at how happy she is, she is even singing. "
※ ※ ※
The Prince of Shu's people came quickly. The Chief Eunuch of the Prince of Shu's Mansion and the Inspector Lord Lu came to visit together and brought the Prince of Shu's edict. Yang Ling had long been prepared for this, and agreed readily. Once he agreed, he immediately ordered his men to follow Sir Lu to the Office of Inspectors to receive the files and evidence, while he led his men back to the palace with the Handprint Eunuch to investigate the scene. This allowed Lu Zheng and the rest to once again experience the swift and decisive style of the imperial envoy.
"How many jade pendants are there in total?"
"Your Excellency, there are twenty-three jade pendants and some other materials of waist ornaments. They are being recorded and compared with the booklet in the Prince's Mansion. Other than the one that was left at the scene of the murder, the rest are all here." The foreign servant beside him answered. The table was filled with all kinds of jade pendants, turtle shaped, jade shaped, Buddha shaped and so on.
"As I said, second brother has a lot of ornaments. Some were given by father, some by Madam Liu, and some by big brother and me."
The young princess was also standing in Zhu Rangjin's room. She picked up a piece and said, "This is a cow bone. Sister Tuoba of Little Jinchuan gave it to second brother. These strange ornaments were mostly given by second brother's good friends in various tribes. Second brother likes to travel. Wherever there is a beautiful scenery or a famous historical site, he will go sightseeing. Because the style of the chieftains is different from that of the Han family, second brother especially likes to go there and have a good relationship with the chieftains."
She proudly flaunted, "It's a pity that second brother hates politics. Father is also unwilling to let him handle it. Otherwise, with second brother's connections, if he went to negotiate with the Barbarian Commanders, there might not be so much trouble."
Yang Ling was looking at all kinds of poems and paintings on the wall. From the calligraphy, he could see that most of them were Zhu Rangjin's own creations. There were semi-cursive script, large and small seal scripts, plum flower seal scripts, landscape paintings and so on. There were also many that were gifts from friends. Yang Shen and Mad Scholar Qingcheng's works were also in sight.
Yang Ling's heart skipped a beat when he heard the young princess's words. Without batting an eyelid, he said, "So the Second Prince is not only talented, but also has such a high reputation among the various tribes in the land of Bashu?"
"That's right. My eldest brother is also knowledgeable. However, he does things by the book and is a bit slow. He is more like my father. The officials all say that my eldest brother has the style of his father. But although second brother doesn't do anything, he is very popular among the people and other tribes."
Scholars were knowledgeable, talented, and good at socializing. People like Mad Scholar Qingcheng, Lu Shijie, were rare. However, there was a special characteristic in Shu. There were too many tribes living here, and many of them were restless. To be the ruler of this place, one had to be highly respected. He had to be loved and supported by the Han people and have a good relationship with other tribes. From this point of view, it was obvious that Second Prince Zhu Rangjin did a better job than the Crown Prince.
He had only come into contact with them on a trip. If he was in charge of government affairs and did it intentionally, then his achievements … could even shake the prestige and power of the King of Shu. The current King of Shu was his father. Naturally, he would not be afraid of these things. But what if the King of Shu was his elder brother? A government decree could not even compare to a word from his brother …
Yang Ling suddenly remembered that Ji Pan Wasi, the son of the Yi tribe's chieftain, and Zhu Rangjin called each other brothers. The daughter of the most powerful Tuoba Yu seemed to be in love with Zhu Rangjin … Yang Ling's heartbeat quickened. A thought that he did not dare to think about circled in his mind.
Among the three most suspicious people, the least suspicious one was the Crown Prince. First, even if he was the one who had an affair with his cousin sister, with his intelligence, he should be able to distinguish the severity of the situation. There was no need for him to fall out with Zhu Mengli at the important moment when he was about to become the King of Shu. He might even strangle her and mess up his own affairs. Second, he was the Crown Prince. No one could threaten his position. Even if he wanted to kill someone, there was no need to frame a harmless brother. If he could not find a suspect, it was far more difficult to solve the case than having a suspect.
The person Yang Ling really suspected was Tang Jiashan, the Cavalry Captain of Wu Dezuo, who could not have anything to do with Zhu Mengli because of the disparity in status. Only these officials and scholars would treat identity and status as insurmountable mountains.
A young girl who often stayed in the King of Shu's mansion but was not the young master of the mansion must be very lonely and bored. The King of Shu was sick and sought medical help everywhere. The Crown Prince was running around in his father's place. The Second Prince was not often in the mansion, and the male masters of the house were not often around. The relationship between the young princess and her was obviously not very close. It could be seen from Zhu Xiang 'er's behavior. The others were all elders, so the only people this girl could really be close to were the maids by her side.
Young men and women were at the age when they longed for love. From what Yang Ling understood, the Cavalry Captain of Tang was handsome and skilled in martial arts. He was also the head guard of the palace and often patrolled the back palace during the day. He and Miss Zhu Mengli had plenty of opportunities to interact. Once a bored young girl fell in love with a man, why would she care about his status and status? Otherwise, there would not be so many adulterous affairs recorded in "Three Words and Two Beats".
However, Zhu Xiang 'er's unintentional words made Zhu Rangxu, whom he had originally ignored, become an important suspect. Zhu Rangxu had been involved with the imperial family for a long time. His passion for power was obviously far greater than his brother's.
If he was the one who had an affair with Zhu Mengli, and this woman had unwisely threatened him when he was about to ascend to the throne because of the affair between a man and a woman, he would have the motive to kill her. If he had another talented brother who was even more brilliant than him, would he take the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone?
As long as he succeeded, he would be able to establish the same prestige and power as his father. All the obstacles to his unique position in Bashu would be eradicated.
Yang Ling fell into deep thought. Zhu Mengli's pregnancy, the Zhu brothers and Tang Jiashan were all suspicious. However, with the addition of the framing, Zhu Rangxu obviously had more motive than Tang Jiashan. However … although he had little contact with Zhu Rangxu, based on his observation, especially the comments he had gathered from the officials, this Crown Prince did not seem to be jealous of those who were worthy or even do something unethical.
If he were to be said to be a great evil, then his absolute trust in Zhu Rangjin would be greatly reduced. Who knew if this Second Prince was also pretending?
He remembered that when he had met the King of Shu in the Qingyang Palace, the behavior of the three children of the King of Shu in front of the king was very different from how they usually behaved outside. It was clear that under the strict teachings of this king, the three princes all knew how to put on an act.
Investigating a case was much more difficult than fighting in the officialdom or fighting a war. They had to think of ways to defeat their opponents, but now they had to rack their brains to find their opponents. What a headache!
The foreigners searched the inside and outside of Zhu Rangjin's residence. In the eyes of these experts, there was nothing that could be hidden. However, Zhu Rangjin's residence was very simple. Other than poems, zither, chess, calligraphy, and a few large shelves of various books, there was almost nothing special.
"Your Excellency, look." A few foreigners who were flipping through the books on the shelves noticed something strange and hurriedly showed it to Yang Ling. Before Yang Ling could open it, a small head popped out from the side and stared at the thick thread-bound book.
She stared for a while and saw the three big words' Collection of Charity 'on the cover of the book. Yang Ling had not opened the book. She could not help but raise her head to look at Yang Ling curiously. When she raised her head, she saw Yang Ling staring at her. Zhu Xiang' er could not help but be angry. "How dare you! How rude! Why are you looking at me?"
Yang Ling coughed and said slowly, "Your Highness, I am searching the Second Prince's residence. I have troubled you to come over and take a good look. Don't lose anything and it will be hard to explain. However, if there is anything suspicious, this … as the suspected murderer, it seems that …"
"Humph!" The little girl raised her chin and raised her nose to the sky. She suddenly turned around, puffed out her chest and raised her head. She took a few big steps forward.
Yang Ling smiled and opened the cover of the book. He suddenly found that it was hollowed out and the four sides were sealed. It was a hidden box with some letters inside. Yang Ling hurriedly turned around and placed it on the table. He used his body to block the little princess's view and took out the letters to read.
In the first letter, the handwriting was crooked. It seemed to say that a neighboring tribe's chieftain had fought over a village and people that belonged to him, and many of his people had been injured. When Zhu Rangjin passed by that place, she had helped him to reduce his losses. She also hoped that the second prince would visit them again when he had time. She also said that the other tribe's chieftain was a relative of the chieftain, so he often bullied people. She hoped that the second prince would help them to reconcile with the chieftain. He looked at the signature. It was the chief of a small Miao tribe in Bao Ning. The one who fought with him was also another tribe.
He looked at the other two letters. They were letters between Zhu Rangjin and her friends. The last one was tied with a silk thread. Yang Ling flipped through it. The handwriting was graceful and it was written by a woman. It was obviously written by the same person. Yang Ling felt like he had found a treasure. He hurriedly opened one of the letters. It was indeed a love letter between a man and a woman. Yang Ling's head was pounding. His eyes moved to the bottom of the letter where everything could be exposed, but he found …
It was empty. The signature was empty. Yang Ling hurriedly opened a few more letters. The signature was all empty. He tied it up again. Now, he could only bring it back to take a closer look and find out the identity of this woman from between the lines. He hoped that this woman was not … her.
Yang Ling closed the box and signaled for the foreigner to take it. He turned around and walked towards Zhu Xiang 'er. He said with a smile, "Princess, I've already checked all the items. Other than that box … that book that I want to take away, there's nothing else. Let's go to Miss Mengli's residence and take another look."
His eyes swept across the room and he saw a painting hanging on the wall. It was a painting of three children fishing by the river. A youth wearing a bamboo hat was sitting on a rock, staring intently at the surface of the water from upstream of the river. A fishing line was dangling into the water. A few steps away from the rock, there was another youth sitting by the river. He was slightly older than the child on the rock. He was holding a fishing rod in one hand, and with the other, he was catching fat fish and putting them into a bamboo basket. He was facing the youth on the rock and seemed to be talking to him with a smile.
The third one was a chubby little girl with her hair combed into a bun. Her fishing rod was thrown by the river, but she went into the bushes to catch butterflies in a charmingly naive manner. Although the painting was simple, it was filled with childlike charm. The expressions and actions of the three children, as well as the river and the trees, were all drawn in a vivid and lifelike manner.
Yang Ling looked at the little girl who had her pants rolled up, revealing a pair of chubby and short calves. She was excitedly pouncing on butterflies. Comparing it to the other two youths, he couldn't help but think of the story of 'a kitten fishing'. He chuckled and said, "One has a fish in her hand, and the other is working hard to fish. But no matter how I look at it, this little fellow who doesn't do proper work is still the cutest."
When Zhu Xiang 'er heard this, she turned around and glared at him. She said coquettishly, "How am I not doing proper work? Is fishing even considered proper work? "
"Eh? This painting … "Yang Ling looked at it again and came to a sudden realization." The people in the painting are the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and Her Highness the Princess? "He took another look and saw a poem beside the painting: 'Wanting to help without a boat or oar, it is shameful to be a sage. Sitting and watching the fishermen, they envy the fish. '
The poem and the painting were not very harmonious. However, the painting was rather old and must have been made when they were young. To be able to use this poem to accompany the painting was not bad. What was strange was that the painting was actually written in four different styles. Yang Ling looked at it carefully for a while and asked curiously, "Who wrote this poem? Why are there four different styles?"
Zhu Xiang 'er was obviously very fond of the painting as well. She gave him a rare smile and said, "This painting was drawn by Second Brother. He also wrote a poem using the three of us and Father's handwriting."
"Wonderful, very wonderful." Yang Ling praised. "The first two lines are solemn and careful. They should be the King of Shu and the Crown Prince's style. But the third line … Second Prince can imitate other people's styles. Why is his own style so ugly? Oh, that's because it hasn't been fixed. Look at Second Prince's calligraphy now … "
The smile on Zhu Xiang 'er's face disappeared. She used a very flat tone and said word by word, "The first line is about imitating my Father. The second line is about my Big Brother. The third line is about me … and the last line is my Second Brother's own."
She flung her sleeves and walked angrily to the door. She then turned back and said, "Mr Yang is discerning. I was only four and a half years old at that time. What style could I have?"
Yang Ling was rebuffed. He saw that the foreigners around him were all lowering their heads and trying to hold back their laughter. Even the few maids standing in the corner looked like they were trying to hold back their laughter. He coughed dryly and said, "Alright, alright. Put the things back in their original places. Now go to Miss Mengli's place and check. Quickly tidy up!"
He walked to the door and suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart. He turned back and looked at the painting again. It was a happy painting of a young child fishing for butterflies. It was full of the joy of a family but he couldn't figure out what was wrong.
"If it was really the Crown Prince who framed Second Prince …" Yang Ling sighed softly, "Look at them when they were young. There was no estrangement, no scheming, only love for each other. Once a person grew up, power, fame, status, and money would infect them with the vulgar air of the city. If my guess is right, when Zhu Rangjin is released from prison, he will see this painting and think of the close brotherly love they had when they were young. What kind of state of mind will he be in … "
※ ※ ※
"I already have three wives, but I still don't know that women have so many nagging things. It's so strange. What are these used for?" Yang Ling stared at the strange things that the foreigners kept digging out.
The Little Princess's face was red. From time to time, she snatched the things from the foreigners' hands and stuffed them back. She even scolded them in a low voice. This made the group of foreigners tremble with fear. If they found some small cloth, they would put it back before anyone saw it.
Rouge, face powder, eyebrow pencil, and oil were also dug out. The things under the dressing table were the most messy. Many of them were afraid of being knocked over and broken. When they were taken out, they had to go through them one by one. So they had searched everywhere but here.
After all, this was not the usual place where they could search an official's house without any scruples. Seeing that everyone was waiting for him, the foreigner became more anxious but still did not dare to move. After much effort, he finally dug out a small booklet from the lowest shelf under some women's personal belongings. The foreigner did not dare to open it and hurriedly presented it to Yang Ling.
Yang Ling opened it and saw that there were some poems, short poems, and some fragmented words. It looked like a diary. Yang Ling felt like he had found a treasure. He hurriedly asked someone to collect it in front of Zhu Xiang 'er. As for the other things, he could not see anything strange and put them back.
"Looks like I'll have to take a good look at these things tonight." Yang Ling thought, then politely cupped his fists at Zhu Xiang 'er and said, "Thank you for your assistance, Your Highness. I have completed my investigation, and I believe my men have also retrieved the interrogation records of the relevant people, as well as the relevant evidence from the Bureau of Internal Affairs. I am busy with official matters, and I will not stay any longer. I will take my leave and return to my residence!"
"Hmm, no one will keep you!" Zhu Xiang'er snorted through her nose. She sounded like she was still sleepy. Although she was rude, there was a hint of gentleness and charm in her voice.
Yang Ling did not take it too far. He bowed to Zhu Xiang 'er again and turned to leave.
After Zhu Rangjin came of age, he lived in the front palace. Anyway, the King of Shu's house was huge. One-fifth of Chengdu was in their house. It would take more than half a day to walk around. However, Zhu Rangjin liked friends, so she didn't stay in a pavilion with its own entrance and courtyard. Instead, she stayed in a pavilion near the guest building that was used to entertain guests. There weren't any courtyard walls or entrance guards, only a bamboo forest as a barrier.
Tuoba Yanran's men were running around, trying to find evidence that could help Zhu Rangjin. However, her men could not get close to the core of the case and could only wander around the periphery. By noon, the news that had already been reported was useless. Tuoba Yanran was frustrated and wandered alone outside the guest building for a while. Then, she walked towards the bamboo forest.
Although she and Zhu Rangjin were in love with each other and had even done the deed between husband and wife, the matter had not been made public. Although she had come here before, in order to avoid arousing suspicion, she usually went with the little princess, Mengli, Yang Shen, Lu Shijie, and the others. This was the first time she went to his place alone.
Tuoba Yanran walked alone, thinking about Zhu Rangjin. When she looked up absentmindedly, she realized that she had passed through the bamboo forest and came to the front of the pavilion. The pavilion was still there, but the person was empty. What was there to see?
Tuoba Yanran waved her long sleeves and sighed. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly saw four maids coming out of the pavilion with sweeping tools. The King of Shu, that old fool, was about to kill his son to cover up his shame. Why did he still remember to clean his residence? Could it be that … Zhu Rangjin was not dead yet and he was planning to use the house for his own use?
Tuoba Yanran was infuriated. She said coldly to the four maids who were approaching, "Stop there. Why are you cleaning the room at this hour?"
The four maids recognized this barbarian princess and knew that even the King of Shu was respectful to her. They quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to Miss, imperial envoy Sir Yang brought people to check the house just now. Those foreigners were rough and clumsy and made a mess, so the head chief sent us to clean it up."
"Imperial envoy Yang? Yang Ling? What house did he come to check? "Tuoba Yanran asked in surprise.
"Reporting to Miss, His Royal Highness has already handed over the case of Second Mistress' murder to the imperial envoy for trial. That's why Sir Yang brought people to check the house. He said he was taking … taking …"
Another quick-witted maid hurriedly said, "He said he was here to collect evidence!"
"Tsk! What evidence did he take? What a bully! " Tuoba Yanran snorted disdainfully. She waved her sleeves and took two steps forward. Her eyes turned and she suddenly stopped. "Handing over the case to the imperial envoy for trial? It seems like my words were effective. This pair of muddle-headed princes don't dare to touch Rangjin again. They also don't want their subordinates to know more about their family's scandals, so they handed the case over to an outsider. "
Although she had a temperamental personality and was sometimes stubborn to the point of being unreasonable, her personality was spoiled and unreasonable. Her mind was very sharp and she immediately guessed the intentions of the King of Shu and Royal Prince Jingqing.
"Rangjin said that this person surnamed Yang is a good friend of hers. Every time this surnamed Yang is mentioned, Rangjin admires his affectionate manner. For Rangjin to admire him so much, even if this person is stupid, he shouldn't be that stupid. He might really be able to help clear Jin's name. "
She turned around and asked, "Surnamed Yang … Milord, did you find any evidence?"
The maids saw that she had left and had just breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that she had turned around again, they hurriedly and cautiously said, "The maids were standing by the wall to wait on him. We didn't see clearly what they found. Later on, we found a box on the bookshelf. It seemed to contain a few letters. Sir Yang looked at it for a while before taking it all away."
"Letters? Could it be … that all of my letters with Rangjin were taken by that surnamed Yang? "Tuoba Yanran was embarrassed and angry. Her face was burning.
She paused and was about to chase after him when she suddenly felt that it was inappropriate. Even with his status, he had no reason to obstruct an official from handling a case or forcefully obtain evidence. Moreover, this surnamed Yang was most likely Rangjin's helper. She couldn't be too rude to him. She thought for a moment and hurriedly said, "I understand. You all go back to your work. I'll go to the second prince's room to take a look."
The maids did not dare to stop her. Seeing that she had entered the room, they hurriedly carried their things and slipped away.
Tuoba Yanran entered Zhu Rangjin's study. There were three big shelves of books inside. She had never read them in detail before. She did not know where Zhu Rangjin kept the occasional letters when she returned to Jinchuan. Now that she heard that he had found something on the bookshelf, she couldn't help but pay attention.
Yang Shen was erudite and had a wide range of knowledge. This second prince, Zhu Rangjin, also had a wide range of knowledge. The books on the bookshelf covered everything. Tuoba Yanran did not have the patience to read them in detail. She glanced at them and found nothing. She then lost interest in searching in detail and decided to find Yang Ling.
She was about to turn and leave when she suddenly noticed that there was a book on the shelf near the desk that had not been inserted properly. She helped to press it back. Only then did she notice that there were no words written on the side. She took the book and flipped it open. There were many strange symbols inside. They looked like the ancient characters she had seen in the barren mountain stone carvings. The strokes were simple and there were few changes. It was probably the same characters over and over again. However, upon closer inspection, there were many differences.
Tuoba Yanran exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly flipped through the book. There were many small characters densely written in between the gaps of the book. They seemed to be annotations for the writing. However, they were written in the same language. The ink at the beginning was heavier. When she flipped to the last few pages, the ink was shiny. It seemed to have been written just a few days ago.
Tuoba Yanran's pretty face darkened, and she unhappily threw the book on the table. "There shouldn't be any secrets between lovers, and there shouldn't be any reservations. I've never hidden anything from him. When did he learn this kind of obscure language, but he didn't tell me."
She angrily walked to the door. After thinking for a while, she went back to copy the book and left.
※ ※ ※
Yang Ling brought the big cudgel back to the field office. He said to Wu Hanchao, "Have the files from the Department of Internal Investigations been retrieved? I want to take a detailed look tonight. "
Wu Hanchao said, "They have all been retrieved, including the evidence from the relevant personnel and the jade pendant that was found at the scene. However... the current weather is not suitable to keep the body for a long time. Miss Zhu's body has been examined. Just now, Lord Liu brought the Imperial Bodyguard's torturers and delinquents to examine the body again. No other clues can be found on the body. Prince Jingqing has also sent someone to send an invitation. He hopes to retrieve the body as soon as possible and bury it in peace. Your Excellency, what do you think...? "
"The body is also brought back?" Yang Ling was startled. "Lu Zheng, that old fox. He can't wait to throw this hot potato to someone else and push it away."
He nodded and said, "I am not being unruly. Since the Department of Internal Investigations and the Imperial Bodyguard's delinquents have all examined the body, there is no need to keep the body. Inform Prince Jingqing to retrieve the body."
"Hey, wait." Yang Ling thought for a while and said, "It is better to die first. Come, bring me to pay my respects to this Miss Mengli."
It was inauspicious for a corpse to be left in the imperial envoy's field office. The backyard was where Yang Ling practiced martial arts and did target practice. So, Wu Hanchao arranged for her to be placed in the wolf soldiers' residence. There was a corpse in the room next to it. These wolf soldiers were unperturbed. They walked in and out, laughing and joking, not caring at all.
It was only when they saw Wu Hanchao accompanying the imperial envoy that they became serious. Originally, they had only fought bravely. Now that they had followed Yang Ling for so long, the majority of the wolf soldiers understood military discipline and etiquette. They hurriedly saluted Yang Ling and obediently stood to the side.
There were two bodyguards standing in front of the door to the morgue. When Yang Ling entered the room, he saw that the room was empty except for a coffin. In front of the coffin was a stool. On top of the stool was a small incense burner. The smoke from the incense curled up, making the atmosphere even more desolate.
Regardless of whether one was a noble, a noble, a scholar or a beautiful woman, after death, they were nothing more than a pile of dirt. A sixteen year old girl, the son of a royal prince, the proud daughter of the heavens, had been strangled to death just like this. One corpse, two lives!
Yang Ling originally did not care about this matter and only wanted to calmly handle this case. Now, he couldn't help but develop an incomparable loathing and hatred for the inhumane murderer. He lightened his steps and walked to the coffin. He put his palms together and softly said, "Miss Zhu Mengli, now that this official has taken over your case, I will definitely find the murderer and avenge you. Miss Zhu's spirit in the underworld, please bless Yang to smoothly arrest the murderer and severely punish the murderer. "
Yang Ling silently kowtowed three times and straightened his back. Wu Hanchao walked to the coffin and stretched out his hand to gently push it. With a 'cha' sound, the coffin slid open. He pressed the lid of the coffin and said, "Daren, this is the murdered Miss Zhu."
Since he wanted to be the Lord of Heaven who handled the case, how could he not even look at the victim? Although Yang Ling was a bit against looking at a dead person, he had no choice but to toughen his skin and walk over. He saw the lid of the coffin open and white smoke curling up from inside. He could not help but feel a bit scared. He lifted his head to see Wu Hanchao's calm expression. He knew that there must be a reason, so he gathered his courage and walked over.
He looked inside the coffin and saw that it was sparkling and translucent. It was filled with ice cubes. The Miss' body was covered with ice cubes, even the top of her head. No wonder there was white smoke coming out.
Zhu Zhongba's appearance was dignified and extremely handsome; it was good that he had this kind of foundation. His children and grandchildren all married beautiful women with good figures and looks, so it was not easy for his children to find an ugly one. The Miss was indeed beautiful. She had an oval face, a delicate nose, thin lips, and long eyelashes that covered her eyelids. Her expression was serene. Presumably, her father had already done plastic surgery on her face. There was no sign of the two round eyes or the frightened and angry expression she had when she was disturbed to death. It was just that her face and lips were snow-white, without the slightest trace of blood.
Yang Ling sighed with regret. He could not bear to turn his head away. His eyes swept over the Miss' face. He suddenly felt that her face was a bit familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before. Yang Ling was startled. He carefully sized up the Miss and then took half a step back. He tilted his line of sight and carefully sized her up again. "Ah!" he let out a scream.
Wu Hanchao held onto the coffin without the slightest fear. Yang Ling's scream scared him and he jumped up high. His hand pressed on the hilt of his sword as he nervously looked around. Seeing that there was no movement, he asked in confusion, "Daren?"
Only after he asked did he see that Yang Ling was standing there dumbstruck. His face had also turned snow-white …
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